More so than pretty much any movie this summer, you’re going to walk out of Matt Reeves‘ Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and think, “How the HECK did they do that?” The combination of technical expertise mixed with dramatic artistry is absolutely magnificent and, somehow, a huge step up from the already-impressive Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Mix those elements with a complex, emotional story of acceptance, family and prejudice, add in a ton of huge action, and you’ve got one of the best films of the summer.

As for that question of “How,” author Matt Hurwitz has your answers in the new book Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Dawn of Planet of the Apes: The Art of the Films. Out July 8, it’s filled with concept art and behind the scenes images from both films and, below, we’ve got some exclusive early glimpses. Check out the Rise and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes concept art below.

Here are five images, exclusive to /Film, from Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Dawn of Planet of the Apes: The Art of the Films. To pre-order the book, click here.

The images provided to us by Titan Books are a pretty solid representation of the beautiful imagery evoked by the concept art, and the crazy on-set performance capture work. Seeing Andy Serkis, Terry Notary and others on set in those costumes will always make me shake my head in amazement.

A growing nation of genetically evolved apes led by Caesar is threatened by a band of human survivors of the devastating virus unleashed a decade earlier. They reach a fragile peace, but it proves short-lived, as both sides are brought to the brink of a war that will determine who will emerge as Earth’s dominant species.